Health News Roundup: Russia says Sputnik V dispute with Slovakia; Italy's old pay high price for regional vaccine lottery and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

COVID-19 prevalence in England has stopped falling, slightly higher this week, ONS says

An estimated 1 in 340 people in England had COVID-19 in the latest figures from Britain's Office For National Statistics, a slightly higher prevalence compared to the 1 in 370 figure given last week. "In England, the percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) was likely level over the two weeks up to 3 April 2021; we estimate that 161,900 people within the community population in England had COVID-19," the ONS said in its weekly infection survey.

India's COVID-19 infections, deaths surge as migrants start to flee cities

India reported another record number of new COVID-19 infections on Friday and daily deaths hit their highest in more than five months, as it battles the second wave of infections and states complain of a persistent vaccine shortage. Evoking memories of the last national lockdown when tens of thousands of people walked on foot back to their homes, hundreds of migrants in badly affected Mumbai packed into trains as bars, malls and restaurants have again been forced to down shutters.

WHO director laments 'shocking imbalance' in COVID-19 shot distribution

There is a "shocking imbalance" in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide and most countries do not have anywhere near enough shots to cover at-risk groups, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday. "On average in high-income countries, almost one in four people has received a COVID-19 vaccine. In low-income countries, it’s one in more than 500," he told a briefing.

Italy's old pay high price for regional vaccine lottery

Agostino Airaudo, 86, died of the coronavirus on March 21. Ninety minutes earlier he had received an SMS telling him that, after weeks of waiting, he had got an appointment for a vaccine. Ten days later, his 82-year-old wife Michela also died of the disease.

How worried should we be about links of blood clots to AstraZeneca's vaccine?

Europe's drug regulator on Wednesday said it had found a possible link between AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and very rare blood clots in adults who received the shot. Britain recommended people under 30 get an alternative COVID-19 vaccine if possible. Here's what we know so far:

'This is war': Polish medics just taking naps between COVID shifts

Some Polish doctors and nurses are just taking naps between shifts as they fight a third wave of the coronavirus, the health minister said on Friday, amid reports of the medical staff using oxygen and intravenous drips to boost their energy. The country of 38 million, the largest in the European Union's eastern wing, reported 768 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday after the number of deaths hit a new record of 954 on Thursday.

Countries emphasise importance of AstraZeneca shot as they look to alternatives

Australia said on Friday it had ordered more alternatives for the AstraZeneca vaccine, setting back its vaccination rollout, and Hong Kong delayed deliveries of the shot amid concern about a possible very small risk of rare blood clots. The Australian decision effectively puts paid to plans to have its entire population vaccinated by the end of October, highlighting the delicate public health balancing act the issue has created.

Families thwart COVID-19 patient transfers as third wave grips France

In March, emergency room doctor Frederic Adnet needed to move COVID-19 patients from his fast-filling Paris hospital to less hard-hit regions of France to free up beds, but unlike during the first wave last year the transfers weren't happening.

It was a scene playing out across the French capital and other virus hotspots, mainly because families were now refusing to give consent, interviews with Adnet and half a dozen other emergency room and ICU doctors reveal.

EU reviews J&J COVID-19 vaccine for blood clots, expands AstraZeneca probe

Europe's drugs regulator said on Friday it was reviewing reports of a bleeding condition in people after receiving AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and looking into Johnson & Johnson's shot over reports of rare blood clots. While Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has been caught in a turmoil over possible links to rare blood clots in the brain and abdomen, and subsequent restriction on usage of its vaccine, this is a formal disclosure of the J&J probe.

Russia says Sputnik V dispute with Slovakia won't undermine EU confidence

A row over shipments of Sputnik V vaccine doses that erupted on Thursday between Russia and Slovakia will not undermine European Union confidence in the shot, the Kremlin said on Friday in the week of an EU vaccines' regulator visit to Moscow. "If Slovakia doesn't need the vaccine, other countries will be pleased... there will be more for others," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

(With inputs from agencies.)